Taking stock as Q4 approaches

I guess I should stop saying 'it's been a while since the last update' since that seems to be the perpetual state this year. I was kicked out of my routine early this year by medical issues and haven't succeeded in returning to it yet. As it's so easy to become caught up in the negative, I've decided to focus on the positive, on what I have accomplished for the year so far, and what I plan to accomplish in the next few months.

So, although I've had to re-evaluate some of my goals for the year, I am still on track for others.

1) Script Writing
I finished, revised and sent off my first complete script to the BBC in June, received the acknowledgement card a week later and have been waiting since then (possibly 6 more weeks to wait). In the meantime, I've come up with the basic stories for the next three scripts in my 2-year plan and I'm brainstorming the one I plan to finish for year's end (submitting it after I hear back from the first one).

2) Reading
My goal was to read at least one book a month--often challenging while trying to keep up with my vast number of other interests. Still, so far I have managed to average at least one book read per month (not including graphic novels, scripts, anthology edits, and manuscripts). The latest book, and older one by Roger Zelazny called 'Eye of Cat' will be particularly useful with the background in the novel I'm currently working on.

3) Blogging
This has been a mixed success. I managed to initiate a regular blog for Utility Fog Press (Utility Fog Blog) with three other writer/editors and there were regular entries for a while, however, it has slowed now and the last entry was in July! There are only two of us now doing anything regular with it so it--so if anyone reading this is interested, let me know (and send your writing/publishing background)

As for this blog, it's obviously been less than regular. A priority, post-knee surgery, will be to arrange the management of my internet resources much better, including websites and blogs, hopefully even setting up some for bringing in affiliate money.

4) Novel Writing
This is the goal that has suffered the most. I have been unable to get myself into a regular writing routine and even abandoned the revision of a novel--although that was because I felt I had learned as much as I could from it, and it would take more time to get it where I wanted it than I was willing to spend. It sounds like I abandoned the novel when the going got tough, but I don't believe that's so. This was never 'that' novel, whereas I have at least 4 others that are and I just got antsy wanting to work on them everytime I started on the other.

But, on the positive note, I have started formally compiling world info for two of the novels and have decided which one I will focus my energy on now. The current goal is to rework the first four chapters, and build the history, for the end of the year and then go full on next year, to finish draft 1 by the end of Q1.

5) Publishing
No new anthologies for Utility Fog Press this year--well, one that I requested submissions for, but is not going anywhere. I have, however, learned a lot about compiling epub e-books and have, finally, put together the e-books for Farspace 2 and Assassins' Canon, which are now available on Apple ibookstore and Lulu.com.

Also, I have some plans for a new anthology (for next year) and a regular multimedia event.

So, all-in-all, not a stellar year, but not a complete waste so far. Some failings, but enough successes to be reasonably happy (I've also managed to improve my Starcraft 2 ladder ranking significantly over season 1--I'm out of bronze league--drop me a e-mail if you want to play). Now I just have to get back to the writing!

Update

It's been a little while since the last post so I thought I'd update things.

Not too much has been happening, however. Medically things are going well with the visits to Leeds. And my foot is doing well with the inserts the podiatrist made. Unfortunately, the orthopaedic surgeon strongly advised having another surgery on my right knee to tighten the 15-year old graft. That will be in August, close to exactly 15 years after the last one. The funny thing was that he told me the surgery was much improved from when I last had it, then proceeded to describe exactly the same procedure. Even the rehab is the same. The only difference will be that the graft is taken from the opposite hamstring, for the obvious reason that taking another graft from the same hamstring would unduly tax that muscle (especially because it never fully recovered due to my negligence with physio).

So, not looking forward to a month of pain/crutches and a year of physio.

In other news... I managed to submit the script originally titled 'Absolute Power'. I changed the title after Charlotte brought it to my attention that AP was also the title of a recent UK political comedy series. Too bad, I really liked the title. Maybe I could sell it in the US?!

Anyway, the BBC has already acknowledged receipt, so now I have up to 4 months to wait for their comments, if any.

I've made the conscious decision to put Mindform Ascension on hold indefinitely. The amount of work the story would take to get it where I wanted it to be was more than my interest level. Originally I started the story only as a fun thing to see if I could finished a novel. Now I can see so many directions it can go in I'm worried it's turning into something completely different from what I wrote. One possibility I'll think about is to rework it into the fun story it seems and save the commentary and philosophical insights for another story. In the meantime I'm going to work on something else...

yep, planning to go back to Gateway finally. I want to start a formal treatise of the Gateway universe so that I have a framework to build a series on. Meanwhile I'll take the advise I received at the First Impressions workshop at Eastercon and try writing some short stories to play with voice and character development. They will be set in the same universe so that I can also develop the Gateway lore.

I'm also planning the next script. One of two ideas, not sure which I'll do yet.

Apart from that, Utility Fog Press has openes submissions for the next anthology: Tales for Travelers, a micro-fiction anthology designed as easy reads for commuters. I'm aiming to publish in e-book formats first, the prepare a POD pocket paperback.

And that really is all for now. Other than the business venture I'm planning... more on that later.

The Future of the Book

 I recently read 'Seth Godin and the Future of the Book' on the CBC web site. An intersting article on the now and future roles an author will have to play.

There were a few comments posted after the article and here are my responses (with the original posts for reference).

Phobos06 wrote:

I prefer paper books. If I could have an actual durable paperback book which could be filled with words and never run out of batteries I would be happy.

I'm also concerned that the switch to digital books will mean that libraries will cease to exist. Already some publishers have agreed to having libraries lending ebooks but the publishers created the stipulation that an ebook can only be taken out so many times. This is absolutely unacceptable.

I'll stick with paper for the time being. I'm no old fogey either. I'm 30 and I like reading my books on the printed page.

@Phobos06
While I am concerned about many of the same things (I prefer print books, and I think about the future of libraries), technology will and must change everything. It's almost impossible to imagine a high-tech world with Victorian trappings. Impossible and ludicrous.

This means the instituions we love must change also, or cease to exist. Libraries in particular stand on the edge. For them to remain a part of our communities, they will have to find a new model of operation. Perhaps, as they are slowly going here in Yorkshire, UK, they will be more like public reading / meeting rooms with multimedia facilities for general use and, oh yeah, you can access books while you're there. Details of that latter part will require a lot of thought with the constant rise in e-books, but I'm confident an intelligent solution will be found (am I too optimistic?)

In short, we are at a period of great change and it means everyone: public services, companies, governments, the individual, will be forced to rethink models that have grown to be comfortable.


JC Army wrote:

Okay, Mr. Godin, but here lies my personal dilemna. I have written a 100,000 word novel, have tried to find an agent (all I have found that match my type of writing/novel are all full and not accepting any more material). I tried to find a reputable publisher, but alas, they are "not accepting unsolicited manuscripts". I have had some literary friends read my novel and they did love it, offered constructive criticism, etc, but here I sit unpublished. So, I begin to wonder, is my novel actually garbage? But then I read some stuff that IS published by some big fancy publishers and I think THAT stuff is garbage (The Time Travelers' Wife comes to mind, but I digress). I guess I'm stuck in the mindset, that if my novel IS garbage, I don't want to publish it just for the sake of accomplishing a lifelong dream of mine. I want it to be GOOD and I fear I need to hear that from the big publishers in order to feel worthy of becoming a published novelist. I have given up so to speak and am not sure what route to take. I like my novel, I love it's message but I'm not liking how painstaking it is to BE PUBLISHED - not just to get it published. I have always thought that anyone can publish something - just go to any old book publisher and they'll print it - I don't want that. How can you possibly try to market your work when you're focussing on earning a living and raising a family, all the while your manuscript sits in the drawer awaiting the occasional rejection letter from publisher after publisher? Sigh. Maybe someday.

@JC Army
One word: confidence. What you are looking for is validation from the big gatekeepers of the industry. But the future will be full of self-published books. Much of them bad, but enough very good. The onus is becoming more and more on the author to not only manage their career and publicise their book, but to make their book the best it can be on their own.

At the moment, the layers of gatekeepers are multiplying: publishers (editing and marketing departments), now very commonly: agents, and even agents to get you agents. This almost seems like a bubble in the publishing industry as e-books, internet and greater self employment regarding small publishers and editors, means the only thing currently supplied by the big publishing houses is the name (yes, and distribution for the dead-tree versions). This is why publishers are scrambling to develop a new model to ensure their continued existence.

I like to think of this brave new world as a return to the roots of capitalism, in a way. Currently, all industries are controlled by the multi-nationals (the publishing industry is controlled by the big six). But with internet, self-publishing, e-books, if you're book IS good and readers like it (and you do the work to get the word out), then it will sell regardless of what any manager says. And we're back, at least for the moment, to the power of the people. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Edwin

The Stuff of Dreams

I had a weird experience last night as I was laying in bed. Just as I was about to fall asleep I was startled by what I can only call a 'mental water drop'. That is to say, I felt a single water drop splash on the centre of my forehead. I knew right away it was in my mind, but it was so similar to the real thing that I had to feel for water. Of course there was none.

Creepy.

I wonder if it means anything? Anyway, it's little things like this that are interesting to remember and include in stories for a little more fleshing out of the character's mindset. I know just the one...

Edwin

Lauren Beukes Wins 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award

This year's Arthur C. Clarke Award winner for best science fiction novel is South African ex-journalist Lauren Beukes for Zoo City. If you haven't read it, I can definitely recommend Zoo City along with her first book Moxyland--a modern Orwellian 1984. Both are set in South Africa but that, apart from the well-written prose and great imagination, is where the similarities end. Moxyland is set in a high-tech Johannesburg where Corporations and Government abuse technology to control the population. Zoo City, while still feeling very 'real' has a more magical nature with the 'animalled'. Both are great reads.


You can find out more about Lauren, Zoo City, and Moxyland at her website: laurenbeukes.book.co.za

Edwin